[The Listserve] What is your True North?

I invite you to take a moment and concisely define what drives you.
In our everyday lives, we are consumed with busyness, moments of reflection are increasingly few and far in between.
What is keeping you busy? Is it working, family, friends, Social life or Spiritual life?
Upon reflection, are you happy and content with how you spend your time, energy, resources?

We all have a finite amount of time and energy and on balance we should expend most it pursuing paths that make us truly happy.
At one point in our lives, we had a passion, a dream of what we wanted to do with our lives, a legacy to leave our mark in the world (or on one person), I invite you to think honestly and critically if you are living towards achieving this dream or fulfilling your passion.

My passion is working with the community to improve financial literacy. I know money does not buy happiness but I also know that mismanagement of money causes a lot of unhappiness.
I hope to mitigate some of this potential unhappiness by offering some financial capabilities building.
I volunteer with community groups, give classes and starting a blog soon, centswithsense.com (hope to launch in March), welcome to check it out 😊

Knowing your Truth North is important as it is what grounds you, whatever you do, wherever you are at, you will always gravitate towards your true north.
You can’t ignore or silence your True North forever and no matter how much wealth you accumulate from other paths you take, the gnawing from your true north will always persist.
Time just intensifies the gnawing.

A group of us discussed our True North a few months back, it is insightful to know what drives the people you spend lots of time with.
All purposes are valid and important, we were however blown away by a 20-year-old who shared his true north as Gratitude.
His life has not been smooth sailing but he chooses to have an Attitude of Gratitude in Everything and to Everyone.
He lives his life by this, and is spreading the thinking to those interacting with him.
He sure did impact 35 of us just by sharing his true North and we were challenged to incorporate this in our lives.
The big lesson was, Life is made of Chooses, we have free will to choose in every decision that we make.
Gratitude is a choice, if we seek it we will find it, in our minds, we just need to choose it and not look if the situation is deserving. Approach everything and everyone with an attitude for Gratitude.

From an early age, I had a teacher who guided my ways using the Desiderata, it is my guide to date.. I leave you with a few verses.

May you find Happiness in your True North.

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
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With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.